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In today’s world, power is everywhere, and electrical equipment can be found wherever we work, live, or play. While this means we have access to electricity almost anytime, anywhere, it also implicitly means the increasing use of our everyday equipment and appliances may potentially lead to electrical accidents that may damage equipment and homes or properties. In cases of leakage, it can result in electrocution and can even be fatal. These types of hazards can impact anyone including electricians, construction and utility workers who bear the brunt of unfortunate incidents. Obviously, no households can be completely immune to the dangers of electricity, and in fact, much like every other aspect of life, the pandemic has played its role in increasing the potential of electrical hazards.
Impact on residential electricity as remote working prevails
Not every day do you see stories about electrocution incidents or even deaths. Still, there is data available to suggest that in certain places worldwide, the number of deaths due to electrocution has risen. In India, for example, 30 people are killed by electrocution every day, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), and electrocution deaths increased by 50% from 8,945 in 2011 to 13,446 in 2020.
This can be attributed to the growing adoption of electrification, remote working, and learning. As the world converged to spending more time at home, household energy use surged. With Zoom sessions, greater use of heating and cooling systems, and lamps and printers running all day, people working from home, combined with an increase in home activities, have driven a surge in residential electricity consumption since the onset of the pandemic. As energy consumption has risen, so has the potential for electrical hazards at home. Between more and more people partaking in quick fixes, with less access to professional help and low awareness of electrical works, safety education is paramount to decrease these numbers.
Low awareness of potential risks
Low awareness is exacerbating the problem, causing more alarm. More than 1 in 3 are unaware of the risks of overloading plug sockets or how to check whether they’re doing so. Most individuals aren’t aware of the safety risks that reside in their homes; therefore, Schneider Electric believes education and protection go hand in hand.
As mentioned above, there’s much unawareness about different electrical hazards and solutions for them. Many assume that they are fully protected with just having miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) in their houses.
At Schneider Electric, we are the leader in final distribution home products worldwide. We offer solutions and systems for homes to provide the best-in-class customer experience. We are conceived to cater to all needs in electrical protection, from protecting people and electrical equipment to preventing fire. This is made possible with our range of miniature circuit breakers (MCBs), residual current devices (RCDs), surge protection devices (SPDs), and arc fault detection devices (AFDDs), along with stylish and easy-to-install electrical enclosures that complement any living space.
Here is how Schneider Electric helps users create living spaces that are safe on three levels:
Protection of people
Electrical shock is one of the hazards that can range from minor discomfort to fatality. It is essential to protect people when they accidentally encounter live electrical parts. Our reliable, efficient, and intuitive technologies help enhance living spaces and the lifestyles of their occupants. Our best-in-class RCD offers their owners safety by disconnecting the circuit as soon as it detects a current leakage , protecting against electrocution.
Protection of equipment
We use many electrical equipment/appliances in a house, like refrigerators, washing machines, TVs, sound systems, and air purifiers. These devices will work under specified voltage. Any fluctuation in voltage beyond the specified range can destroy sensitive electronic components in circuits, by reducing the life or damaging the equipment. Our Surge Protection Devices (SPD) can help provide protection from severe fluctuations in voltage.
Protection against fire
Electrical fires can cause huge losses, the consequence of which is far-reaching. Fire can occur due to the following:
- Drawing more current than the specified limit (ex: drawing 15A in 10A Socket)
- Unintended electrical connection between current carrying parts
- Prolonged Arc
Schneider Electric’s wide range of MCBs protects our installation or appliances against sustained overloading and short-circuit faults. Our AFDDs detect unusual signatures, which signify an arc on the circuit and protect from potential fire.
Safety always comes first
Schneider Electric’s home protection solutions help end users adapt their homes to their evolving needs and enable them to experience safety indoors. We work to create awareness about the benefits of RCDs, SPDs, MCB, and AFDDs and want to become the best choice in safety for users and encourage electricians to play the role of ambassadors and educators. Our electrical experts are equipped to share advice with their specific expertise for every home or building they are called out to. We also wish to be a company that will help electricians educate homeowners about the need for RCD and advanced protection devices, to become the preferred partners in safety.
Our teams are here to ensure the safety of users with the best-in-class protection with our solutions and systems, which are different, stylish, easy to use, and, most importantly, with high reliability that brings peace of mind to people.
Learn more about homes of the future from Schneider Electric.
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